Not A Waitress
by AprilLudgateKarateDwyer
Summary: In which Angelica is a famous singer and actress, Eliza is engaged to a famous writer, and Peggy wants to get out of their shadow. She might get a little help from an unassuming French immigrant that can rap like hell. (Leggy all the way)
1. Chapter 1

Anyone who saw the girl running through the parking lot of Seabury's Bakery immediately made way, fearing they would be barreled over if they did not.

She had a wild look in her eyes, was wearing a worn, messy apron, and had flour on her clothes and in her hair. As she ran at breakneck pace, she held a small wrapped parcel in her mouth so she could fish for her keys in her purse. She nearly ran into her car.

She finally found her keys and jumped into the drivers seat, starting the ignition. She pulled out of the lot and sped down the road. At a stoplight she caught a glimpse ofher reflection in the side mirror and groaned, spotting the flour in her hair. The light turned green before she could do anything though, so she continued speeding down the road.

Peggy Schuyler was late for another one of her sister's dinner parties.

Her sister, Eliza, had been dating Alexander for about a year and a half, and was completely head over heels. Alexander Hamilton was famous for his writing. His best selling novel so far, _The Reynolds Pamphlet_ , involved a graphic affair.

Peggy could tell that Eliza didn't like this particular book, even if she pretended to. It had elevated Alexander to stardom though, so no one was complaining. Eliza was his biggest fan on all of his other works; pride for her boyfriend was infectious.

And, if Peggy had guessed correctly, he would be more than her boyfriend after tonight.

She wasn't entirely sure if she was ok with Alexander. Peggy knew for a fact that he had originally set his eyes on her eldest sister, Angelica, before he knew she was engaged herself. Angelica was famous in her own right; an enormously talented singer and actress, every man's eye landed on her before straying to Eliza or Peggy.

And Peggy had been even more startled when Angelica seemed enamored with him as well. At least Angelica had had the sense to turn him away before it was too late. Eliza just seemed...helpless. Not that Alexander had been anything but good to her sister. Peggy just had a feeling that Eliza was trying to capture lightning in a bottle.

Peggy pulled up to Alexander's not-so-humble abode. She knew it technically was partly Eliza's too, because she lived there with Alexander, but she just couldn't imagine Eliza living in such an enormous house. Peggy always imagined Eliza living in a cottage in the woods, like in a fairytale.

She did a sloppy parallel parking job in the street behind all the other cars and ran up the driveway. She had arrived a grand total of 46 minutes late. She wrang the doorbell and played with the small wrapped gift in her hands. Only then did she realize that she had left her duffel bag with a change of clothes in her car.

It was too late though. Alexander opened the door, smiling brightly.

"Peggy, you made-"

He staggered when he caught sight of her messy appearance.

..it."

She put on her brightest smile and tried not to sound sarcastic.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

He invited her inside and her suspicions were confirmed. Her father, Angelica and her ever-present paparazzi, and many more people Peggy couldn't identify were all dressed in formal attire, socializing all around different segments of the house. Peggy was almost certain that this many people wouldn't fit in her dingy apartment.

There was no question: he was going to propose today.

Peggy's eyes scanned the crowd for her sister. Alexander seemed to know who she was looking for and smiled.

"She's in the kitchen. I said she should let the chef prepare, but she insisted she should help."

A small smile crossed Peggy's lips.

"That does sound like her. I'll let you get back to whoever you were talking to before I got here."

Alexander shook his head.

"You know what, I'll come with you. I want to help out Eliza", he lowered his voice, "and between you and me, if I have to spend another second talking with John Adams I'm going to kill myself."

Peggy knew he was just trying to get on her good side, but it was working. She let out a laugh.

"Lead the way, then."

They walked across the room and towards a long hall that Peggy knew led to the kitchen. However, before they could reach it, she heard a yell.

"Hey waitress, want me to help you wipe the flour off your ass?"

Peggy and Alexander turned one who yelled was a brawny man in a gray beanie. Behind Peggy's back, Alexander mouthed _Really Mulligan?_ and gave him a look.

She observed his companions: a smaller man with a freckled face that was red with laughter and a much taller man that, like herself, had his curls tied away from his face. He looked embarrassed for his friends or for her, she wasn't sure.

Normally Peggy would have punched him in the gut, but because she assumed these were Alexander's friends and she didn't want to cause a scene, she decided to be merciful

"Take a good long look, buddy, because that's as close as you're gonna get", she said, her voice unwavering.

She tried to resist her second comment but just couldn't.

"And I'm _not_ a waitress right now, unless you'd like me to serve you an ice cold can of whoop-ass."

The one in the beanie mocked being shot in the heart, Alexander andthe freckled man burst into laughter, and the tall one snickered, a wide smile on his face.

She turned back to Alexander.

"Are these bozos your friends?"

He looked only a little embarrassed before he nodded.

"Peggy, these are my old room mates from New York, Hercules Mulligan, John Laurens, and Lafayette. Guys, this is Eliza's younger sister, Peggy."

Peggy took a moment to assign names to faces. Before she could say anything, though, the one called Laurens spoke up.

"I didn't know there was a third Schuyler sister."

Peggy smiled tersely.

"Nobody really does. Nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand.

They all took her hand in turn. Mulligan and Lauren's looked slightly uncomfortable, Lafayette just looked bemused.

"Why is it that we've never met?"

 _Oh._

Peggy had guessed by the name 'Lafayette' that he was French, but his accent made it sound like he had been ripped right off the streets of Paris. She decided she wanted to hear him speak again.

"I haven't been able to come to any of these other parties. My job is very demanding." She gestured to her apron and the flour that was, well...everywhere.

Lafayette smiled again.

"Where do you work?"

"Seabury's bakery. I'm a waitress mostly, but sometimes I help prepare the food."

"So you _are_ a waitress!" Mulligan piped up.

Peggy punched his arm.

"Not right now. I managed to get some time off for this party."

Mulligan rubbed his arm.

"And what's wrong with being a waitress?" asked Lafayette. He sounded genuinely curious, not condescending.

"Well, it's not like I made the move to California to be a waitress and live in a roach filled apartment." she scoffed.

Laurens and Mulligan snickered. Lafayette smiled.

"And what is it you did come here to do?"

"To play the piano." she said simply, shrugging.

"Not sing or act?" asked Laurens.

"No. To play the piano." said Peggy.

"But no one really-"

"What do you like to play?" Lafayette cut off Laurens, who scowled.

"I like to play jazz the most, but I have a soft spot for the classics because my mom would play them all the time." she said. She knew she could ramble on and on if she wasn't careful, so she kept her answer short.

"Eliza likes to play the classics too", piped up Alexander.

Peggy nodded her head in agreement.

"She's pretty damn good. One time-"

Before Peggy could launch into a story, the sound of a knife tinking against a glass rang throughout the room.

"Dinner is being served in the reception room!" called a man in a fancy suit.

"I'd better be off, see you all later." said Alexander, flashing his teeth in a grin.

Peggy wondered if he had forgotten that they had been going to the kitchen together, but supposed it didn't matter either way. He probably had things to oversee and nitpick. She turned back to Alexander's friends.

"Well it was nice to meet you all." She looked at Mulligan, remembering how she had been introduced to them in the first place. "Well, most of you."

They each smiled and laughed. Peggy wondered how it was that she could hear an accent in a laugh. She pushed the thought aside and was off to the reception room.

Alexander's house was built for these parties and gatherings; that much was clear when you saw the reception room. Peggy liked to think of it as a glorified ballroom. It had a dance floor and at least a dozen circular tables. Peggy walked through the doors, and her elder sister immediately walked over.

"Peggy! You're a mess!" said Angelica with a good natured scoff.

"At least my feet aren't about to pop like a balloon." smirked Peggy.

Angelica dropped her jaw and raised her eyebrows, and Peggy could tell she was trying not to laugh. Angelica was six months pregnant with her husband John, but Peggy knew her sister could handle her insults. It was something she'd never say to Eliza.

After all, Angelica may have been pregnant, but she still looked more elegant than everyone in the room.

"So when do you think he's going to pop the question?" mused Angelica.

"I'm not sure, but this party could confuse someone into thinking that they're getting married today." said Peggy, looking around the room. Angelica chuckled.

"I wouldn't put it past them. Want to go find out seats?" Angelica gestured to the name cards on the tables.

Peggy nodded, and they walked over to the biggest table where they assumed they would find their names. As they walked over, Peggy couldn't help but notice how different she and her sister must look. Angelica was wearing a flowing peach dress and striding toward the table with a cool confidence; Peggy was at least half a head shorter, wearing a faded yellow tee, jeans, and an apron, and was struggling to keep up with Angelica's long strides.

They reached the biggest table, which was the ones meant for close friends and family. Angelica found her seat almost immediately. It was on Alexander's left hand side. To her left sat her husband, John.

Peggy scanned for her name tag but was unable to find it. She did another go around and still couldn't seem to find it. Just as she was about to ask Angelica for help, the real problem dawned on her.

 _They didn't put me with them._

Peggy pushed the though aside. It was ridiculous. Alexander wouldn't forget about her, much less Eliza. When Angelica noticed Peggy's upset face, she tried to console her sister.

"Don't be stupid honey, I'm sure they just forgot to put your name down. I know you're sitting at this table."

Peggy nodded. She knew that she was really supposed to be sitting there. However, it was really no surprise that her name was the one that had been forgotten. She continued to look for something that wasn't there.

She eventually accepted defeat and turned back to Angelica, but her sister was now talking with a woman that Peggy had never seen before. Sighing, she turned and looked around the room, not sure what to do. She felt very small.

Suddenly she felt a light tap on her shoulder and turned to see Lafayette standing there.

"You look lost." he observed.

"Thanks for noticing." snapped Peggy. Her sour mood was evident on her face. Lafayette scratched the back of his head uncomfortably. Peggy immediately regretted her sarcasm and sighed.

"Sorry, they just forgot to give me a seat."

Lafayette nodded in understanding.

"Well, if you need a place to sit in the meantime, Mulligan went to the bathroom a while ago and between you and me, I don't think he'll be back any time soon. So if you want to sit over there..." he pointed to a table not far from the one she was originally supposed to be seated.

She looked at the people already seated there: a man and woman who looked slightly uncomfortable and John Laurens, who was talking their ears off. Peggy turned back to Lafayette and nodded, having made up her mind.

"Well I definitely can't stand in the way of everything and possibly miss out on food."

Lafayette smiled brightly and they walked towards the table. By the time she had seated herself in Mulligan's empty chair, the whole room seemed full. She wouldn't admit it, but she was definitely glad she wasn't standing around like a fish out of water.

She realized that the two strangers, presumably a couple, were looking at her curiously, and remembered she hadn't introduced herself.

"Oh, sorry. I'm Peggy Schuyler, nice to meet you."

The man smiled tersely. He still looked mildly uncomfortable.

"Aaron Burr. And this is my wife, Theodosia." he said, and Peggy noticed he seemed more relaxed when he mentioned her name. Peggy decided she liked him, even though he clearly was suspicious of her.

She smiled and tried to look as friendly as possible, despite her oddities.

"So how is it that you know Eliza?" she asked.

"We don't know Eliza, but Aaron knows Alexander," replied Theodosia. "They used to work at the same publishing company before Alexander moved. The company asked Aaron to move here to oversee a few things about a year after Alexander did. Weird coincidence, I guess."

Peggy nodded, then noticed Aaron continuing to eye her disheveled appearance. Theodosia noticed as well and smacked him in the arm. She felt the need to explain herself again.

"I work as a chef and waitress at Seabury's bakery. I came directly here, and I would change, but I wouldn't want to miss anything." she said, hinting at the proposal.

"She's not a waitress right now." joked Lafayette. Peggy rolled her eyes.

They continued their small talk for a while. Eventually Laurens got up to talk with Alexander. The Burrs veered off into their own conversation, and so did Lafayette and Peggy. As it turned out, they were both avid Star Wars fans.

"I know that the Ewoks were furry and everything, but they almost _ate_ Chewbaca and Han. That's the opposite of cute." said Lafayette.

"Yeah, but their little teddy bear faces were adorable! And the noises the made were too." argued Peggy. "They also helped out Leia."

"I'm not saying they didn't help them, I'm saying they were kind of terrifying. They were somehow able to-" his argument was cut off by a waiter putting some food down on the table. Peggy looked at her plate to see a burger.

"Good, I'm starving." she took a huge bite. Lafayette smirked.

"Whut?" she asked through a mouthful of burger. Lafayette just shook his head. She suddenly remembered whose seat she was occupying.

"Do you think Mulligan will ever come back?" she asked. Lafayette shook his head.

"I doubt it." He pointed to a table on the far side of the room. Hercules had an attractive red head on his lap and was feeding her small bites of burger. Peggy snorted.

"How the hell did he pull that off?" she asked. Lafayette just shrugged.

"We think he may be bribing girls to make himself look good."

"Probably not a rediculous theory." laughed Peggy.

As they continued talking, Peggy found herself more and more intrigued by the French man she had befriended.

"So Lafayette is only one name. Why is that?"

"Well, my full name is a bit of an earful." he said a bit sheepishly.

"Lay it on me."

"Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette."

Peggy blinked repeatedly.

"Well, Lafayette it is, then. Unless you'd rather go by Joey." she smirked. He grimaced.

"Lafayette." he agreed. "Peggy is short for something as well, no?"

She looked like she had tasted a particularly sour lemon.

"Don't make me say it." she groaned. He grinned. "You have to now."

"Margarita." she said bitterly.

"That's no where near as bad as mine." he said critically. "Yes it is." she whined.

"My sisters get Angelica and Elizabeth while I'm stuck with a beverage. I think my parents might have been drunk when I was born."

"It's a good beverage." Lafayette consoled. Peggy scoffed, then heard her name being said by her sister and turned around. As soon as she did, Eliza launched into an apology.

"Peggy, I'm so so sorry that we messed up your seat! I was going to fix it but got carried away with eating and talking and there are so many people here that I just-"

"Eliza!" Peggy giggled. "It's ok, really. I met new people anyways." she said, gesturing to Lafayette and the Burrs, who had looked up from their conversation. She grinned at all of them.

"Hello again Lafayette! And you must be Aaron and Theodosia. Alexander speaks very highly of you both."

They held a very easy conversation. This was common, of course. Peggy knew that someone would have to be an emotionless monster to dislike Eliza. However, it was interrupted by the squeaking of a microphone.

"Can everyone quiet down please?" rang Alexander's voice. Peggy saw that he had let the paparazzi into the room, and knew that this was it, without a doubt. She knew that Eliza knew as well, because she looked like a dear in the headlights. The room grew silent.

"I just want to thank everyone for being here. But let me cut straight to the point. This past year and a half has been, without a doubt, the best of my life. I think you all know why." he was gradually making his way toward Eliza, who was staring with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape.

"It's because of my angel on earth, whose beauty is only matched by her kindness. Who I am clearly still undeserving of, but will try to live up to every day of my life. My love is never in doubt."

Peggy shot Lafayette a look, and he returned on that clearly said _he is milking this for all it's worth._ Peggy supposed it was worth it though; her sister was on the verge of tears.

Alexander was right in front of Eliza, who had a hand over her mouth. He got on one knee. The click of cameras going off was the only sound to be heard.

"Eliza, will you marry me?"

* * *

 **AN: Ok, first things first. This is kind of like a La la land au. I finally got to see it yesterday and of course thought of hamilton while I was watching it (why am I cursed this way). I'm still a little salty over the whole oscars thing, but whatever. The idea is that hamilton is like the jk Rowling of this au and he wrote the Reynolds Pamphlet (sort of like 50 shades of gray) and a bunch of other books and got super rich. Angelica is a famous singer because she's amazing and Peggy just wants to make it as a musician. That's the idea anyways. Review/fave/follow or all 3, I appreciate any and all of these. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

The room didn't have to hold its breath waiting for Eliza's answer, because everyone knew what it was going to be. She jumped up and down, waving a hand in front of her face in a way that would have been annoying to Peggy on anyone but Eliza.

"Yes! Yes! Oh my god," she exclaimed, and Alexander got off his knee to embrace her. There were loud _awwws ,_ catcalls, and applause when they kissed. Peggy was cheering and clapping, Lafayette was beaming. Somewhere nearby, John had opened a bottle of champagne excitedly.

Peggy saw her dad smiling, which she knew was the best they would get from him. Phillip Schuyler was a very traditional man who liked a simple life and wanted the best for his daughters. He hadn't been to keen on Alexander seeing Eliza at first, but eventually gave in (with much pleading from Eliza). When Alexander had asked for Eliza's hand, Phillip gave in again, with much more reluctance.

Now, anyone could see that Alexander and Eliza were the happiest couple in the room. It was like they were in their own little world, even with all the chaos around them. Peggy hoped that her father wouldn't have to regret the decision to give them his blessing.

She would congratulate them when things had died down a bit, Peggy decided. Right now, she wanted some champagne. She walked over to Laurens to get some.

 _Might as well get some for the whole table,_ she thought, and grabbed four glasses carefully. She got back and set them down, and they all thanked her politely. Then they sat and watched the events unfold.

Music began playing, and Eliza dragged a giggly looking Alexander to dance. Peggy identified the song as _Forever_ by Chris Brown. She smirked, remembering an episode of _T_ _he Office_. Eliza loved that show; Peggy should've known she would play this song.

"You'd think they would have save some of this for the wedding", said Lafayette. Peggy smiled.

"They don't like waiting very much." shrugged Peggy. "Besides, the wedding will be much more expensive." She watched as more people went to dance. She looked back to Lafayette.

"I'm not gonna sit here all night," she proclaimed. "Want to go dance?" She watched as Lafayette had a small coughing fit.

"Dance?" he said, almost critically. She nodded, trying not to look amused at his expression. She got up and grabbed his arm. He stood up, but practically dug his feet into the ground.

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"Peggy, I'm not nearly drunk enough to dance." she laughed, but he looked pretty serious. She arched an eyebrow.

"Seriously? You need to be drunk to have a good time?" he held up his hands in mock defense.

"That's not what I meant. I'm just forewarning you that I'm going to look like an absolute dork." He got out of his chair all the same. Peggy smiled.

"Well, that makes two of us."

They made their way over to the floor and inserted themselves into the crowd. Peggy felt it easy to let herself loosen up enough to dance. The champagne helped a little; the room felt brighter. Lafayette, however, wasn't feeling the same ease.

He looked, in Peggy's professional opinion, like an absolute dork.

Not that she was about to tell him that.

As they continued, dancing, Lafayette started loosening up and really got into it. Peggy couldn't help but laugh at some of his moves. She tried to stop because she didn't want to scare him away, but he just laughed along with her. Eventually, Eliza spotted her and made her way over, beaming.

"Having fun?" she asked. "Of course." said Peggy, twirling her sister.

"Aren't you?" she asked Eliza sarcastically. Eliza, who was jumping up and down with the rhythm of the song, laughed. "Always."

They continued dancing together for a while, and Peggy realized how much she would miss her sister. She knew nothing would really change because Eliza had already moved in with Alexander, but felt that she would see her sister less and less from now on, like Angelica.

She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind. She still had today with Eliza.

Lafayette took that opportunity to go and down some more champagne, not because he needed it any more, but because he was thirsty; dancing is hard work. When he got back, a slow song was playing. The main lights were dimmed and replaced with a florescent purple glow.

Peggy had instinctively went back to her seat and sat down. She was used to getting out of the way at this point in the evening. She watched as her sisters twirled around; they were dazzling. They moved through the sea of people with their respective partners with grace in a whirl of peach and turquoise.

Lafayette saw Peggy watching and frowned. From what short time he had spent with the girl, he knew she wasn't a watcher; she was a doer. Even though he knew that he would try juggling chainsaws before he tried slow dancing, he knew that he didn't want her to have to sit there.

Peggy felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and Lafayette cleared his throat.

"Voulez-vous dansez?" he asked.

"Oui." smiled Peggy. Lafayette then realized that he had spoken in French rather than English.

"You speak French?" he asked.

"Barely. I took a few classes in high school." she said, getting to her feet. "Were you hoping I wouldn't know what that meant?" she teased.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, truthfully I didn't really mean to speak in French. It just came out that way." he confessed. Peggy smiled warmly. She knew he must have been nervous, and was greatful that he was being this kind to her. She offered him her hand. He took it.

He followed behind her as she led him back to the floor. She placed one of his hands on her waist and took the other in her other hand. Lafayette assumed that they would be swaying along with the song, like the others, but Peggy had other plans.

She took the lead and turned their dance into a sort of waltz. They moved more than any other people on the floor; Lafayette feared he would trip over his own feet. They literally danced circles around everyone. People were starting to stare, but Lafayette could care less.

He felt like he was floating. He wanted to keep dancing with Peggy until Alexander shut the party down. He watched as her apron twirled gracefully behind her movements and stray bits of hair fell out of her messy ponytail. She had a wild smile on her face that reminded him of the ocean. He couldn't tear his eyes away if he wanted to.

Peggy couldn't help but feel noticed for once. Not by the people in the crowd that were beginning to stare, but by the Frenchman who was beaming at her. It was an exhilarating feeling that she didn't want to go away. He stepped on her feet multiple times, but neither of them really took notice.

Eventually, the music stopped. Peggy suddenly realized how close she was to Lafayette and backed up a little. He almost looked unhappy when she did. Alexander's voice came over a microphone again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here! I hope you all enjoyed yourself. It means a lot to Eliza and I that you could be here to see our engagement. Now get out." he finished with laughter from the crowd.

Peggy looked at the clock on the wall, which read 12:30. She hadn't realized how late it had gotten. She turned back to Lafayette, whose nervous persona had returned.

"Thanks for dancing with me." said Peggy. "I had fun." Lafayette couldn't fathom that she was thanking him.

"No, thank you for putting up with me stepping on your feet all night." he said. She giggled.

They made their way out of the room and outside into the night air. Lafayette wanted to ask if they would ever see one another again, but couldn't bring himself to do it out of fear that the answer would be no. He settled for asking for her number instead.

Before he could, though, a drunk looking John Laurens came up to the two of them.

"Laf, where have you _been_? Hercules and Megan and I have been waiting for forever for you to leave. If you don't hurry, I'm pretty sure Herc and Meg are gonna have sex in the car." he said in a rush.

Lafayette groaned in exasperation. Before he could apologize or even register what was happening, he was being dragged away by John Laurens. Peggy waved goodbye to him ruefully.

She said her goodbyes and congratulations to Eliza and Alexander, then made her way down the driveway. She fished her keys out of her purse again and got into her car.

She was halfway to her house when she realized she had no way to talk to Lafayette.

* * *

 **AN: Thank you thank you thank you to people who reviewed or followed or faved. Also, the translation for the French line is: would you like to dance? I am honestly just using google translate, so if anyone who speaks French knows that that is wrong, feel free to let me know.**


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Lafayette, John, and Hercules had gotten to their shared apartment that night, Lafayette had passed out on the couch and John had curled up on an armchair. Hercules and Megan, needless to say, shared the bedroom.

When Lafayette woke up the next morning, he didn't remember the events of the previous night right away. He tied his hair up and made himself some coffee. It was only when a half-naked Megan strutted into the kitchen that the memories of the night before flooded his brain.

He almost spit out his coffee. How could he have forgotten? Instead of doing that, he settled for swallowing his coffee and telling Megan to put some pants on. She glared at him.

"Don't tell me what to do." she snapped, then retreated to the bedroom that Hercules still occupied.

Lafayette just raised his eyebrows and took another sip of coffee. He guessed she had another hour or so before Hercules kicked her out.

Lafayette leaned against the counter and drank his coffee for a while longer, letting the memories of Peggy soak into his brain. Even though he didn't have her number, he knew at least one person who did.

 _Hey Alexander, I met your sister in law and didn't have the balls to ask for her number while we were face to face. Can you help me out?_

He grimaced. It wasn't entirely his fault that he hadn't gotten it. John had swooped in at the last second. Though, to his credit, he hadn't been lying: Meg and Herc really were about to ruin their car. Not that this was unusual.

When Lafayette had first moved into the first apartment in New York with Alexander, John, and Hercules, he hadn't been sure what to expect. He was fresh out of Paris and barely spoke English at the time. He eventually got used to a routine of quirks from each of them, and Hercules' one night stands was one of them.

At this point, they were all guilty of one night stands; some of John and Alexander's having been with one another. They never admitted it, but Lafayette wasn't sure who they thought they were fooling. Normally in Hercules' one night stands, he would unceremoniously show the girl to the door and leave John or Lafayette to deal with her while he went back to sleep. It was the unspoken "agreement".

Eventually, Hercules and Megan emerged from the bedroom. Hercules had bags under his eyes; it seemed like Megan was already skating on thin ice. She was hissing in his ear and shooting Lafayette pointed looks. He guessed it was about their earlier exchange that morning.

 _Well, I'm sorry I didn't want to see you stranded in the hallway with no pants on_ , he thought while keeping his expression blank.

She eventually poured Hercules and herself some coffee. Hercules looked like he needed it, but Megan seemed chipper enough. She looked in the fridge.

"Is there _anything_ in here that I could make breakfast with?" she asked, eying the few contents critically.

"Probably not." answered Lafayette honestly. She glared at him. He sipped his coffee and shut his mouth. Megan turned back to Hercules.

"I make the _best_ pancakes, if you happen to have some nutmeg." she said with a wink.

Hercules looked her dead in the eye.

"We don't even have eggs."

It was then that Lafayette remembered that Peggy said she worked at Seabury's bakery. He had never been, but maybe he would see her there.

"We could always go out to eat." suggested Lafayette a little too quickly.

"Who said anything about _we_?" said Megan, narrowing her eyes.

Lafayette raised his eyebrows.

"You're right. It's about time for you to leave, Megan."

She let her jaw drop.

" _What?_ " she looked to Hercules for backup.

"He's right. I'll go get your stuff," yawned Hercules.

Lafayette was left alone in the kitchen with Megan, who was glaring daggers at him. He tried his best to avoid eye contact, feeling guilty. When Hercules returned, she grabbed her things, slipped on some pants, and walked out the front door, slamming it on the way out.

"You think she would have known what she was signing up for by the way she was talking last night." said Hercules in the middle of a yawn. Lafayette just shrugged.

When Hercules went back to bed, Lafayette was left alone in the kitchen. Well, except for sort of John, who was still in that armchair not five feet away from the kitchen. He was still snoring loudly.

After setting down his empty coffee cup in the already overflowing sink, he sat back down on the couch. He took his phone out of his sweatpants and googled Seabury's Bakery. It wasn't too far from where the apartment, but it was on the richer side of town.

He did a little more research and figured out that during the day it was a restaurant (specifically a 3 1/2 star restaurant), and during the night they only lit up the Seabury's part of the sign, and it became a club.

Lafayette felt a spark of hope. He knew there was no way he could convince John and Hercules to go to an overpriced restaurant on the other side of town, but if it was a club, they may buy it. The only real reason he had to convince them was because they all shared one car.

He would have to make it work.

* * *

Peggy had gotten the rare chance to sleep in that morning. She had taken the afternoon shift, something she normally avoided if she could. The hours were shorter, sure, but the people were assholes.

When 2:00 rolled around, she forced herself out of bed. She went to the small kitchen in her apartment and ate some chips and watched a roach crawl across her floor and into a corner somewhere. She had given up on fixing the roach problem long ago.

She had the odd sensation that something was missing, and couldn't really put her finger on why. She was used to living alone in this gross apartment, it didn't bother her in the slightest. But today she felt strangely alone.

Then it clicked: _Lafayette._ She quickly brushed the thought aside. There was no way that he still remembered her. She didn't even have a way to contact him. That was that.

Still, as she got ready to go to work, the memories came back to her mind, no matter how many times she tried to get rid of them.

Once she had taken a shower, fixed her wild hair, put in her contacts, and gotten dressed, she grabbed her purse and walked out of the apartment. It was 5:30 and she had to be there at 6. She would almost certainly be late.

She sped down the road and arrived with 3 minutes to spare. She grabbed a notepad and pen and started waiting tables. It wasn't too bad. The tips were good around this time of the day. It was later at night when tips were harder to come by and hands started straying to places they shouldn't.

Around 9:00, Seabury's had transformed into the night life version of itself. The area that had been roped off during the day was opened up, and the restaurant looked like a club.

Peggy worked her way from table to table, and sometimes delivered to people just standing in a corner who wanted a drink. She approached a table not far from the dance floor.

"Hello, my name is Peggy and I'll be you're hostess for-"

"What kind of name is _Peggy_?" asked one of the men at the table. By the looks of things, they had already had several drinks.

"It's my name." she said, trying not to sound angry. "Can I start you off with any appetizers?" she asked patiently.

"I'll have," the man with blonde hair hiccuped, "the pretzel sticks. And a Bud Light."

While Peggy wrote down his order, his friend decided to try his luck and smacked Peggy's butt. She whipped around and had to stop herself from punching him; she needed this job. She repeated this in her head like a mantra.

 _I need this job. I need this job. I need this-_

"I think you and your friend have had enough to drink for tonight." she said, her voice steady.

The friend got up from his seat and put his hands on either side of Peggy's shoulder, pinning her against the wall. His hot breath reeked of alcohol.

"Come on, honey, I was just playing. Don't take it out on me an' the boys." he slurred. One of his hands moved down to her butt again and squeezed.

That was it. Job or no job, Peggy wasn't going to let this continue. She pulled her fist back with every intention to punch him square in the face, but before he could, the man dropped to the ground, cupping his cheek and wailing.

Peggy tore her eyes away from this to see Lafayette staring back at her, looking enraged.

* * *

Lafayette had finally managed to convince his friends to come with him to Seabury's. Admittedly, it hadn't taken much effort. He knew he only had to win one of them over before the other followed along.

They all piled into the car at around 8:30. They were all starving, and Lafayette found himself hoping they had some good inexpensive food, even if that wasn't his real reason for going.

John and Hercules still didn't know that he only wanted to go because Peggy might be there. There were both onboard though; John had gotten a paycheck earlier that week and he was eager to blow it all.

The arrived in a huge parking lot and went inside the restaurant. It looked like exactly what it was: a normal restaurant pretending to be a club. A small, cramped space in the center of the far room acted as a dance floor. That room seemed to be where all the action was.

Naturally, John, Hercules, and Lafayette gravitated towards it.

They sat themselves down at a table and found the cheapest drinks on the menus, per John's request. It was his paycheck, after all. The waitress, to Lafayette's disappointment, introduced herself as Emily. John and Hercules didn't seem to mind a bit.

"I'll be right back with your drinks." she said, smiling coyly at John.

Hercules elbowed John repeatedly, and Lafayette joined in their laughter. Eventually their drinks came. They sat at the table, talking and occasionally flirting with girls who walked by. All the while, Lafayette was on the lookout for Peggy.

After a while, he saw the flash of a small girl in an 'I heart New York' sweatshirt and green shorts. He watched, bemused, as she whizzed from table to table while balancing trays in her hands.

 _That has to be her._

He watched her move to a table in the far corner of the room. He saw one man at that table smack her. Lafayette had shot out of his chair.

"What's up with you?" asked John.

"Nothing." muttered Lafayette, but he was already moving across the room.

He saw the man pin Peggy against the wall, and something inside him snapped that he couldn't explain. He saw red. When the man touched her again, he lost what little sense he had left.

Lafayette punched the stranger clean across the face. He barely felt it with all the adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Peggy made a small squeaking noise and he caught sight ofher face for the first time that day. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open.

Not exactly how he had planned it.

* * *

Peggy wasn't sure what she was feeling. She wasn't sure if the anger was directed at Lafayette or lingered from earlier, or if her shock was from what had just happened or the fact that Lafayette was here.

They just stared at one another for a moment, neither one really sure what to say. They ignored the screams from the man's friends who were still standing around the table.

Peggy was suddenly worried that another fight would break out. Before she could tell Lafayette that they should take this somewhere else, the security guard came and grabbed him by the arm.

"Right this way." he said, as if almost bored.

Peggy happened to know the security guard. They played cards sometimes when business was slow and they had nothing better to do.

"Randy, he was just defending me!" she said, stepping in front of him. He gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry Peg, I gotta do my job." he continued to drag Lafayette towards the front door, and he didn't resist. He looked over his shoulder, and Peggy waved goodbye to him for the second time that week.

She turned back to the man on the floor.

"Sir, you can ask our manager if you need any first aid stuff." she said coldly. The man gave her a nasty look and got off the floor.

Peggy walked away from the table and towards the front door. She saw Hercules and John already there. Getting to the front was tough; she had to cut through the dance floor. She shoved people aside with rushed apologies and hurried out the front door. The boys had already vanished from her sight. Peggy cursed and looked around the crowded parking lot until she caught sight of Lafayette with Hercules and John by his side, standing by a car.

When she reached them, she found Hercules and John peppering Lafayette with questions.

"What was _that_? _"_

 _"_ That didn't look like 'nothing' to me!"

"Who was that guy?"

"Why-"

Before Hercules could finish his second question, Peggy cut in.

"I'm sure he'll tell you all about it, but can I speak to him for a minute?"

Lafayette looked hopeful. John and Hercules looked more confused than ever.

"But-" started John, but then Lafayette gave him a look that shut him up. John grumbled something about waiting in the car, then he and Hercules went to wait in the car.

"Ok, first of all, what was that?" asked Peggy. She wasn't mad, but she genuinely wanted to know what had come over him. Lafayette gave her a serious look, and a flicker of the anger she had seen earlier returned to his eyes.

"I saw him pin you against a wall. I'm not sure what came over me. But I don't regret it." he said earnestly.

Peggy wasn't sure what to say, but felt a smile creeping onto her face.

"Did you come here just to see me?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He nodded and the hint of a smile crossed his face.

"Yes. I didn't plan it to go like this, though." he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

She tore a page out of the notebook she still held and scribbled something on it. She handed it to Lafayette.

"Here's something for your troubles, then." she said.

Lafayette took the paper and looked at it. It was a barely legible phone number, but a number all the same. He couldn't hide the smile that was on his face now.

"So you aren't mad?" he said hopefully. She snorted.

" _Mad?_ Are you kidding? You're going to have to teach me how to punch like that."

* * *

 **AN: WHY IS EVERYTHING I WRITE SO FLUFFY? Anyways thank you guys so much for the reviews, they make my day. And make me want to work on the story a little faster if you catch my drift *wink wink*. You know the drill.**


	4. Chapter 4

It had been two weeks since Lafayette had been kicked out of Seabury's. Peggy kept glancing toward the clock, anxiously waiting for her shift to end. Once it did, she hung up her apron and rushed toward the exit. Before she could get to her car, though, the busboy asked her to help him carry a trash bag so he didn't have to make two trips. She begrudgingly helped; she owed Garry a favor anyways. After this she rushed to her car, got in, and sped down the road until she reached her destination.

Peggy grabbed her worn purse, jumped out of her car, and ran towards the staircase of her apartment. Cursing, she realized that she hadn't locked her car and possibly forgot to shut the door. She turned on heel to take care of it. By the time she had gotten to the top of the second staircase to her apartment, she looked extremely winded.

Unfortunately, her suspicions had been correct; Lafayette was already standing outside her door.

"I was wondering if you'd show." he said mockingly.

Peggy rolled her eyes.

"You know that I'm late to everything."

Lafayette smiled while she fished for her keys and eventually found them.

"I just want to be here when the unthinkable happens and you get back _early_."

Peggy heard the familiar click of her unlocked door and pushed it forward.

"Well, you're gonna be waiting a long while."

Peggy had been driving Lafayette to work for the past week. It had taken a while to convince him because he didn't want to add on to her already packed schedule, but the fact was that he needed a ride while Hercules and John used the car to get back from their job. Besides, Peggy liked the company and their apartments, as it turned out, were within walking distance.

They walked in and Peggy immediately remembered the mess she had left on the couch. She started shuffling the papers that cluttered the entire surface of her ratty old couch.

"Sorry, I meant to finish this before now."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I was organizing sheet music earlier. It's worth a lot if you know who to sell to." she grumbled, taking the papers and setting them down rather carefully on her kitchen table.

He frowned.

"You don't seem awfully happy to be rid of them." he said. She smiled sadly.

"At this point the only reason I have them are for sentimental reasons; I have most of them memorized. And I could definitely use the money. It's just...they used to belong to my mom."

Peggy wasn't sure why she was telling him all of this, other than the fact that Lafayette had an aura of trustworthiness about him that she couldn't explain. She often wondered if she was naive to let a man come to her apartment alone every day.

But she didn't feel naive. She had seen untrustworthy people; she knew a great few, especially in her neighborhood. It wasn't the worst, but it certainly wasn't the safest. Not two months ago, a man had been shot dead in the middle of the night. Peggy had heard his screams.

She shook these thoughts away and smiled ruefully.

"She would want me to get rid of them anyways, now that I finally got them memorized. It only took me six years."

He laughed.

"She seems like she was quite the character."

"She was fucking _insufferable,_ but everyone loved her. What about you? What are your parents like?"

A look similar to the one when he had punched that man crossed his face. She didn't like it.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Are they dead?"

He laughed bitterly.

"I doubt it."

His accent was clear as he spoke. She had learned that his accent was always thicker when he was uncomfortable.

She knew better than to ask further, but all the questions she wanted to ask must have been clearly written on her face, because Lafayette sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose before continuing.

"My parents were not the nicest people. They're descendants of nobles and marquís, so they think they're royalty. Even kept the goddamn title."

 _That explains the name,_ thought Peggy.

"They looked down on others less fortunate than them, and trained me up to do the same ever since I could remember. I played their little game until I was thirteen and made my first _real_ friend, Sean, and I realized that even though I had the best education and everything I could possibly want, the people I was looking down on knew more than I did about...well...everything."

She could tell he was trying to figure out how to say what he had to say next in English.

"I tried to tell my parents how they were wrong, and they thought I was sick in the head. They sent me to a hospital for a week."

Peggy could see that Lafayette was trying to keep the pain in his eyes from showing. She felt the overwhelming urge to hug him, but she knew he didn't want her pity, and she wanted to hear the rest of this story.

"When I got out, I went back to playing their little game, but this time it was all an act. I went to visit Sean every now and then to just..." he searched for words, "be a normal kid."

Peggy pictured a little thirteen-year-old Lafayette having to grow up in the span of a week. The mental image made her stomach churn in an unpleasant way.

"We both knew I had to get away from my parents, but every time I tried to run away, one of my parents' contacts would catch wind and return me. It got to the point where they put bars on my window."

Now Peggy pictured a small Lafayette staring out of a barred window, longing to be outside, even when the inside probably housed everything that money could buy. But Peggy knew money couldn't buy everything, and she knew Lafayette did too.

"So eventually, we planned for me to leave the country and stow away on a boat to America. I knew I would never see Sean again and that I would have to go alone, and it scared me into staying a few more years."

"Why didn't you bring Sean with you?" Asked Peggy. Lafayette smiled sadly.

"He had a real life with real parents. I couldn't bring him along."

"Do you still talk to him?"

Lafayette's face went blank.

"No. The only person I still have contact with in Paris is the maid who worked for my parents. Sean died just before I left. That's what let me leave, I think."

"Oh. I'm really sorry." Peggy didn't know what else to say. What did someone say in a situation so horrible?

"I'm sorry I even brought it up." she said.

"Well, it's not your fault I have such a terrible childhood." he said. Peggy snorted.

"I still feel bad, if I had known-" her stomach rumbled, and she stared at it until it stopped. Lafayette smirked, barely bitting back a snicker.

"Time for lunch?"

Peggy nodded sheepishly, glad that her stomach had provided such an easy way to get out of talking about Lafayette's past. Not that she wasn't interested or sympathetic, she just didn't know what to say and Lafayette didn't want her pity anyways.

She got off the couch and started the microwave. Soon the conversation was much lighter and happening over pizza rolls, the greatest delicacy in Peggy's freezer. The conversation, as it often did, lingered on movies and TV shows.

They finished their snack and got to Peggy's beat-up Sudan with time to spare. At fist their drive was lazy and relaxed, but it quickly turned into a Carpool Karaoke, another series Peggy had to get Lafayette into. As their off-key rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody came to a close, Look At Me Now by Chris Brown came on the radio.

Peggy was about to change it because she couldn't rap for shit, but Lafayette stopped her. He had an innocently smug look on his face, like he knew what he was about to do was amazing, but he was also looking for her approval.

Her jaw dropped as he spit out every word as if he had written the song himself. Every word was clear despite his accent, and she found herself cheering him on as the song got faster and faster, progressing into one of the fastest raps she had ever heard. Once the song was over, Peggy tried to compose herself but failed.

"Okay, first of all, _how the fuck_?" Lafayette was laughing at the expression on her face. "How come you never told me you can rap at the speed of a god?" she demanded.

"It hasn't exactly come up in conversation."

She hit his arm.

"Ow!"

"I'm serious! You could get somewhere with talent like that."

"Lots of people have talent, but we can't all be recognized." he said lazily. "Besides, I'm happy with the job I have."

Peggy sighed dramatically, but didn't press it because she needed a favor.

"Do you mind if I stop by Walmart?"

He checked the clock.

"Sure."

She found a parking space and they made their way to Walmart.

"Don't think we're done talking about this though." She said as she closed the door to her car, pointing a finger at his face.

He raised his hands in mock defense.

Once they had run her errand (which consisted of picking up some hot pockets and soft pretzels) they were on the verge of being late.

"You might want to buckle up," she advised.

"I am...why?" He asked, suspicious.

"Because you haven't experienced 'almost late Peggy' driving yet." she said, pulling out of the parking lot.

He soon understood what she meant.

"Peggy, red light!"

"That's a yellow, not red." she said, speeding past.

"Yellow means _slow down_ , not speed up!" he yelled.

Peggy laughed in a way that could only be called maniacal.

"Peggy, I want to work as a security guard at this hospital, not become one of its patients!"

"Well you won't work there if you don't show up on time."

"Well, I won't work there if I am dead, either!" The fear in his voice was tangible.

Lafayette had to shut his eyes for the remainder of the drive. Eventually, not soon enough in Lafayette's opinion, Peggy slammed to a stop in the hospital parking lot.

"And we're here with," she checked the time, "five minutes to spare."

He got out a little shakily.

"No offense," he said, not able to hide the smile creeping onto his face, "but next time I'll just call 911 and take an ambulance instead."

* * *

 **A/N: As you may have noticed from my other story, I'm alive! School is rough, blah blah, excuses excuses. I wasn't sure what to do for this chapter so I ended up unlocking Lafayette's Tagic Backstory TM. I hope you like it. If you do (or even if you don't) feel free to drop a review. And by feel free I mean pleeease review. Until next time kiddos**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Before I get back to your regularly scheduled programming, I'd like to address a perfectly valid commend made by thatwritermadeofpotatos: Of course some of the grammar mistakes are mine, and I apologize. Grammar has never really been my thing and sometimes I just guess.I am still relatively new to writing for thissite and haven't navigated all its glitchiness. I check and double check my chapters (pinkie swear) and for whatever reason when I post them, words will get mushed together or taken out, making it weird and awkward to read. Then I go back and fix those spots only to have word clumps/ missing words in other places. I've pretty much given up (I'm super impatient whoops) but honestly these spots would annoy me too if I were reading this, so I'll try harder to get everything fixed. If anyone knows what I'm talking about or how to fix it, please tell me. I write on the app on my phone so that might have something to do with it...? Ok, rant over. Enjoy!**

* * *

The smell of burnt microwave popcorn was so strong that it sent Peggy into a small choking fit. She walked across the room to crack open a window, while Lafayette only stared in amazement.

"You know, for someone who works as a part time chef and waitress and all that, I would've thought you'd be a better cook." he snickered.

"I'll have you know I'm a _fantastic_ chef, my microwave is just broken."

"Mhm." he said in clear disbelief, and she punched his arm.

"Maybe this will be the best damn popcorn you've ever had." she snapped.

He eyed the bag that was now burnt to a crisp.

"You think I'm going to _eat_ that?"

"Well of course, it would be so rude if you didn't. That was my last bag of microwave popcorn, after all." she scoffed.

He laughed and eyed the clock. As much as he loved staying at Peggy's apartment, he wasn't keen to ever experience 'late Peggy driving' again if he could help it.

The rusty clock, which Lafayette always thought might be a bit of a health hazard, read 6:23. This time it was almost a relief; he loved Peggy, but there was no way in hell he was going to eat that popcorn.

"We should get going soon." he said, pointing to the clock. She scoffed.

"You're just trying to get out of eating the popcorn!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger in his direction, all while struggling to keep from smiling or laughing.

"Well, that is a positive," he laughed, "but we really will be late." His smile dropped and he looked like he had seen a ghost. "I'm not going through that again."

She laughed loudly and his smile returned.

"Well, let's get going. I wouldn't want you to piss yourself in my car again." she laughed.

"Wha-! I didn't piss myself. Your driving is just suicidal!"

He followed her to her car all the same. They were halfway to the hospital, Peggy still teasing him, when she turned to him with a serious look on her face.

"Hey, can you come to my apartment earlier tomorrow? It's the only way I'll be able to drop you off."

He scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed that he needed a ride from her at all.

"Of course, but if it's an inconvenience, I can get another ride." he said sheepishly.

"Oh, no! It's not an inconvenience. Who knows, it might be fun for you." she said mysteriously.

"What is it that you need to do?" he asked curiously.

"I'm going to an audition."

"For what? Does it have to do with your music?" he asked, knowing he sounded stupid.

She laughed, but he saw it didn't reach her eyes.

"No. It's a commercial audition."

"Why would you want to do that?"

She sighed and twirled a strand of her curly hair on her finger.

"Well, I need more income than I get from a stupid part-time job if I'm going to open my restaurant."

"Your restaurant?" he asked gently.

"Yes," her face lit up as she stared at the road, "there's going to be jazz playing all the time, and a different artist every night. Except for me of course, I'll play every night for as long as I want." she finished, a gleam in her eyes.

Lafayette couldn't help but catch her excitement. It was pretty infectious.

"I look forward to its opening. How soon do you think that will be?"

She sighed.

"Well, if the audition goes well, significantly sooner." her face fell, but the gleam was still in her eyes.

"So I'll get to go to a real TV audition? I've never been to one before. Will I get to watch you perform?"

Peggy smiled at her friend's naivety.

"No, and it's not as exciting as you would think. For commercials, you just read a couple lines and if they like your face and voice better than the hundred other people there, you're in."

Lafayette wondered how anyone could dislike Peggy's face or voice.

"Well, I'm sure you'll get it." he said positively.

She smirked, willing herself not to roll her eyes.

"If you say so."

She pulled to a stop in front of the hospital and Lafayette got out.

"Be at my apartment tomorrow at noon." she yelled at him.

He turned and gave her a little salute in response.

"What a dork."

* * *

The next day, Lafayette showed up at her apartment at noon like she had asked. He knocked on the door and waited for her to answer. When she did, she had her shoes on and purse in hand, a sure sign they were leaving right away. He also noticed he had never seen her so dressed up before. She was wearing a ruffled yellow dress with a baggy jean jacket. He thought the contrast suited her. It also left him feeling rather underdressed in his baggy jeans and monster energy shirt.

"Great, you're here. Let's go." she said in a rush, grabbing his arm and dragging him toward her car.

"We're not late, are we?" The worry was clear in his voice.

"Late for being early," she said, unlocking her car and chucking her purse to the back, "I want to make a good impression."

He nodded in response. The drive to the studio was rather unusual: Peggy didn't talk much at all, only muttering things to herself that Lafayette couldn't decipher. He figured that she was rehearsing or something, so he kept quiet as well.

Once they reached the studio Peggy quickly got out of the car and started towards the entrance, and even though Lafayette had much longer legs, he found himself struggling to keep up.

He walked through the door and swiveled his head around to take it all in. It wasn't as glamorous as he had pictured it, but it wasn't exactly falling apart, either. The ceilings were high and the walls were a pale green. He stopped looking around and saw Peggy disappear around a corner, and he ran after her to catch up.

When he reached the hallway, he had to stop and take in the hundreds of people crammed in it. There were some that looked somewhat like Peggy, and some that couldn't look more different. He felt a tug on his arm and he was dragged away again, feeling like a child.

Peggy dragged them to the end of the hall. Lafayette looked at her quizzically, not sure what he was supposed to be doing or where he was supposed to be.

"Okay, so I'm going to be waiting here until the people in that room," she pointed toward a closed door, "call my name. You can stay here if you want or you can wait in the waiting room. Or, if you _really_ wanted to get out of here, you could go get some food and pick me up later." she gave the last option, jingling her keys.

Lafayette shook his head.

"I'll stay here, and when you nail the audition, we can go get some food." he stated confidently.

She beamed at him.

"Well, if you really want to."

For the remainder of their time in the hallway, they reenacted scenes from _Law and Order_. It wasn't really helpful in terms of acting because they were both laughing through the whole thing, but it did distract Peggy from her nerves. The door swung open and closed all the while, calling new names every couple minutes.

Finally, a loud, " _Margarita Schuyler!"_ wrang over the commotion in the hallway.

"Break an arm. Or...leg?" Lafayette said, unsure of the expression.

Peggy, laughing and shaking her head, made her way towards the door.

* * *

Peggy took some deep breaths, then walked in with a confident demeanor. None of the casting directors looked up from their notesas she walked in.

"Afternoon, Miss Sky. Darryl will hand you your lines and then you can begin." She cringed at the butchering of her name but said 'okay' anyways.

She scanned over her lines quickly. She knew she would be auditioning for some sort of food; it turned out it was Tyson chicken nuggets.

 _At least it's something I have prior experience with,_ she thought sarcastically.

She mouthed the words a couple times.

"Sometime today, Miss Sky." said an impatient voice that sounded almost familiar.

She looked up from her papers and met the eyes of the man Lafayette had punched in the face not less than two weeks ago.

He seemed to realize it too, because his face grew into a sinister smile. Peggy gulped. She knew she should just walk out now, but she refused to give him that satisfaction.

She read through the lines, but couldn't help but be distracted by the murderous look on the man's face. She finished with a smile that she hoped didn't seem forced. The man from Seabury's was the first to speak.

"Everything was said in a rush and too quietly. Nothing was enunciated and your face looked like it was thinking about something other than what you were saying. I think I can say, without a doubt, you won't be getting a call back." he sneered.

The man's coworkers stared at him in shock while Peggy glared at him. From the looked on his coworkers faces, she hadn't been half bad; certainly not the worst.

"Luke, _surely_ you didn't think it was that bad?" asked an elderly lady harshly.

Luke, as it turned out, was an excellent actor himself.

"It was sloppy. I want her gone."

The other people sighed and shrugged. They clearly didn't care enough to defend her. She knew she hadn't been the best, but she clearly didn't deserve _this._ She summoned all her patience.

"If you gave me another chance, I'm sure-"

"You're sure that you'll just ace this audition and become a shooting star? Not today, I'm afraid." he crowed.

The last of Peggy's nerves were torn to shreds.

"You son of a bitch, you don't know what I want! The only reason you hated my audition was that you tried to make a move on me and got what you deserved!" she yelled, marching over to spit in his face.

Before she got there, she felt a rough hand on her arm that dragged her away a few steps. Peggy planted her feet, then bit the security guard's arm. He howled in pain and having escaped, Peggy tried to make her way back over to Luke, but was tackled this time by a different security guard. Now she was sprawled on the floor at Luke's polished dark shoes.

 _Fair game._

She spit on his shoes and smirked at his appalled face. The other security guard finally recovered from having been bitten and joined the other to drag her away.

* * *

Lafayette sat waiting in the waiting room anxiously. He couldn't hear anything going on in Peggy's audition, so he tried to busy himself with people watching. However, none of the people here were nearly as interesting as he would have expected, so he picked up a magazine.

Suddenly, he heard a yell that made several other people look up as well. He recognized Peggy's voice, but couldn't hear what she was saying.

 _Please be part of the audition, please be part of the audition, please be-_

He stood up at the sight of what came out of the room. Two security guards dragged a screaming and kicking Peggy away. It was quite a sight, but not one he had expected to see.

He sighed and hoped he wouldn't have to bail a certain someone out of jail this afternoon.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: If you read my other story, you know now that I fixed the weird spacing stuff (YAY). Also, I haven't totally planned this story out yet, so if you have any suggestions or stuff you'd like to see, now's the time to let me know in the comments! Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.**

* * *

Lafayette was trying to keep the sweat on his forehead from being too noticeable, but anyone who looked at the nervous man could tell he was in some manner of distress. His face was pale and he wore a grimace that didn't look natural.

The man that Peggy had apparently spit on had called the cops on her. Lafayette had followed the security guards dragging a kicking and screaming Peggy outside as they waited for the cops to come and asked the guards in a sentence that was half French, half English nonsense, if Peggy was going to jail or if he could speak to her.

The guards had shared a look and kept him at a safe distance, not wanting to 'unsettle' Peggy more than she already was. So he had paced around the back stairs of the studio, shooting nervous looks at Peggy every now and then, who just looked angry.

He would have felt sorry for whoever endured her wrath if they hadn't winded her up in this situation.

Eventually, the cops did show up, but Lafayette wasn't allowed to ride along in the police car. Peggy quickly tossed him her keys when no one was paying attention, and he nodded his thanks.

Now he sat at the station awaiting what was going to happen to Peggy. The fact that cops walked by the bench he was sitting at every few seconds did nothing to help his nerves. Maybe it was because he was black, maybe it was because he had watched too many episodes of _Beyond Scared Straight_ , but police officers had always freaked him out, even when he hadn't done anything wrong.

Finally, after a few hours, a short police woman approached him. He looked up expectantly, subconsciously chewing his finger nails. She looked down at her clipboard, squinting at something that was written there. Finally, she looked up at him.

"Are you Mr. Laf-ey-ette?" she asked, trying in vain to get his name right.

"Yes." He said, looking at her with wide eyes. The police officer smirked at the look on his face.

"No need to look so alarmed. It isn't like Peggy's getting a death sentence."

If she thought that was going to calm him down, she was sorely mistaken. He managed to look more concerned than before. The police officer sighed and shook her head.

"Relax kid, she got off with a warning, and the man she assaulted isn't pressing charges."

Lafayette jumped off the bench and restrained himself from hugging the officer only because she had a gun in her holster.

"How soon will she be released?"

"I need you to fill out this paperwork," she handed him the clipboard, "and after that she'll be right as rain."

Lafayette assumed that meant she would be released and took the clipboard eagerly, filling out the paper in a rush. He scribbled his signature at the bottom and made his way to the front desk to search for someone who would help him. The bored looking receptionist looked over the paperwork, then called, "Coates!", which Lafayette supposed was the name of the officer he had spoken to earlier.

Coates came out of an office in a rush, looking a bit overwhelmed. She spotted Lafayette and paused for a moment to tell him, 'right this way', before marching in the direction he assumed Peggy would be. He followed without hesitation.

They walked silently down a narrow hallway towards the double doors that lay at the end. The officer entered a 4-digit code into the little keypad next to the doors, which seemed to unlock once she did. They pushed through and Lafayette thought he might have a nervous breakdown.

A row of cells lined the far wall, each containing a few different people. His eyes instantly landed on Peggy, who had managed to end up in a cell with two women that looked like they might be body builders or could possibly be in a motorcycle gang. They were wearing studded leather jackets and combat boots with no shortage of tattoos and piercings. In comparison, Peggy, with her ruffled dress and shorter stature, looked like a child.

As soon as he got closer, he saw the three women were sitting on the floor with a deck of cards.

"Got any fours?" the one with a half-shaved head asked.

In response, Peggy dramatically pulled out two cards and handed them over, then covered her face with her hand.

"I hate this game." She said with a fake sigh, then looked up and saw Lafayette and Officer Coates, who twisted a key into the key hole.

"Peggy, you're free to go." Her voice sounded bored as she opened the door. Peggy looked at the two women then back at the officer.

"Just a few more minutes? This game is almost over, my ass is being handed to me."

Lafayette wanted to scream. The officer pursed her lips and shook her head.

"'Fraid not, Peggy."

"Is this Lafayette?" one of Peggy's cellmate's asked, and Lafayette almost felt self-conscious as she looked him up and down.

"Yeah, that's him." Said Peggy, getting to her feet, her face a little redder than before.

She exited the cell, and Coates closed the door behind her. She turned back and waved at her cellmates.

"Well, nice to meet you, girls. I hope Enrico isn't the father, Janice," she turned to the other woman, "and good luck getting your driver's license back Rita."

"Thanks sweetie." The one called Janice said.

"Good luck with that restaurant! And don't forget to hook me up with Angelica some time!" called Rita as they walked back down the hall.

Lafayette could only stare in wonder. How the hell had Peggy managed to make what looked like lifelong friends after about-he checked his watch-three and a half hours in prison? The girl was an enigma.

They walked out to the parking lot in silence after saying goodbye to Officer Coates. Peggy looked at Lafayette expectantly, and he realized he had her car keys. He grabbed them out of his pocket and unlocked the car, electing to take the driver's seat. Peggy didn't protest.

It was in the car that Lafayette was about to give Peggy a piece of his mind for scaring him, but Peggy broke down into an apology before he could even open his mouth.

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this mess. I swear I thought it would just be an audition, and I wouldn't have attacked that guy, but Laf he was the guy that you punched in the face, and he was just being a complete asshole and he egged me on and I lost control and now you probably think I'm insane-" Lafayette held a hand up to stop her rambling. Peggy looked like she was on the verge of tears. All of Lafayette's resolve broke.

"First of all, take some deep breaths. You got off clean, and that asshole didn't press charges." He waited for her to breathe before adding, "And he probably deserved it."

He was relieved to see her smile again, however watery it was.

"Secondly, you may be mildly insane, but I'm not going anywhere."

"Thanks for that." Lafayette knew that however sarcastic she sounded, she actually was grateful.

"What did he do that was so horrible that you had to try to murder him?" he asked before he could stop himself. Peggy shot him a look, and he quickly added, "not that it wasn't deserved."

"He acted like he knew what I wanted better than I did." Peggy crossed her arms, a frustrated shadow clouding her face. Lafayette was lost.

"He, eh- what?" Lafayette knew he sounded like an idiot, but he wanted to know what she meant. Peggy sighed.

"He acted like he was above me because he had the ability to make me a little 'shooting star'," she rambled, using air quotes around 'shooting star', "but he doesn't know what I want. He probably recognized the name Schuyler from my sisters and thinks I'm trying to be like them. But I'm not. I'm just trying to make some damn money." She sounded very tired.

"Why don't you just ask either of your sisters for a loan?" he asked quietly. He knew he was treading on dangerous ground.

"Because I just want to do it myself." She sniffed.

"You don't want your accomplishments to be because of them." He translated.

She nodded slowly.

"Can you blame me? If my restaurant becomes a success, I want to be able to tell people that I didn't use my perfect, famous sisters to my advantage. For once, I want something that's just…mine."

Lafayette took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at her.

"When. _When_ your restaurant becomes a success."

She shook her head with a small smile on her face.

"I wish I had half your confidence." Lafayette pursed his lips as if he were considering something, and Peggy noticed. "What?"

"Well, you did just get arrested for trying to defend your ideals, so that's something." He said with a small smirk. Peggy huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, and that helped _so_ much."

Lafayette snickered. They soon reached Peggy's apartment and stepped inside. Peggy changed into sweat pants and her 'I heart New York' hoodie before badgering Lafayette about his 'ability to rap at the speed of a god'.

"Seriously, Angelica has connections. She could get you a label in no time flat."

"Who was it that was just telling me she refused to use Angelica for money?" he scoffed, plopping down on the couch, which let out a loud creaking noise.

"I said I wouldn't use her for money, not connections." She grinned.

"Mhm." Lafayette rolled his eyes.

Peggy giggled, and Lafayette caught himself staring. He couldn't pretend he didn't think about being more than friends with her. Lafayette, like his friends, had never really been the best with relationships. The fact that Alexander had been the first to get engaged was unsettling, to say the least. He wanted ask Peggy out more than anything, but he was afraid that if things went wrong, he would lose not only a girlfriend, but one of his best friends too.

So, for the millionth time that day, he looked away before she caught him.


End file.
